St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-06-02
CONFERENCE OF CHURCHES.
A Good ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Papers
Valuable Discussions.


and Wednesday of this week, and
organized by electing Franklin Fair
banks, moderator, and Rev. G. w.
Kelly, scribe. The annual sermon was
given by Rev. c. M. Lamson, who took
for text Matt. 5: 2, 3. ellis disciples
came unto him, and He opened his
mouth and taught them, saying,
Blessed" The Lord has blessing for
his followers to-day. Every one who
brings his cup-be it cup of sorrow
and weakness, or one of joy-and
holds it before Him, will have it filled
with beatitude. The sermon was
solemn, searching, tender, helpful.
In the afternoon Rev. Mr.. Rogers of
East Hardwick read a paper on "Mis-
sions." He began by saying it was the
duty of somebody to do missionary
work. This obligation rested on the
church. There was never time like
this when the world was so white for
harvest, and there was never time
when men were so ready to go. By a
canvass of the educational institutions
of the land it was found there were
1900 young men ready to prepare
themselves for mission work. The
question now is, will the churches sup
ply the funds to send these young men.
This paper, which was concise, earnest,
practical, was followed by brief ad-
dresses on the same subject. Rev.
Mr.. Andrews of Peacham gave some
illustrations of the sacrifices and hard
ships of missionaries in Bulgaria and
elsewhere, together with personal de-
privations endured that they might do
more for others, and thought our
churches might have yet to go to the
foreign missionary field for lessons in
benevolence. Rev. T. w. Darling of
Danville gave some interesting per-
sOnal experiences as home missionary
on the frontier, and spoke earnestly of
the effect of such missionary work
upon the heart and life of the mission
airy. Prof. Henry Fairbanks spoke of
the rule for giving. He thought most
pastors conscientiously adhered to the
old custom of giving tenth to the
Lord, while the membership of the
churches give apparently less than
two per cent. He thought possibly
the pastors erred in not letting their
people know the extent of their offer
ing-a very natural modesty. There
was to be- a great demand upon the
churches for funds to send the 1900
new missionaries into the field. Rev.
G. F. Morse, formerly missionary to
Turkey, thought it the rule of the
church in Turkey to give tenth. He
gave testimony to the economy of the
missionaries and the trial it was for
them not to have money sufficient for
the pressing needs of their fields.
Rev. Mr.. Drew of McIndOe's Falls
read a paper on "The Home" taking
the ground that parents are RESPONSE
BILE for the religious condition of their
children that they inherit the sinful
dote is Gods grace. This paper was
followed by brief discussion, Rev.
Mr.. BOdwell of LyndOnyille emphasize
ed the fact that upon the family rest
the church and state, and upon the
character of the family depend their
welfare. He gave some hints as to the
best training of children to secure ODE
dience and prevent lawlessness, and
suggested giving them employment
and letting them have things of their
own allowing them the proceeds. Also
Rev. G.. w. Kelly read an exhaustive
paper on "Secret Duties belonging to
Christian Life" Common excuses for
the neglect of these were W Public
duties make them unnecessary (2)
Lack of time. In reply to these ex-
cuses it may be said that the secret
duty of the Christian has the first
claim, and that this is everywhere
spoken of in the Scriptures from the
time of Abraham pleading alone for
Sodom to the Saviour in the gar
den. Faithfulness in secret duties was
the cause of Christian eminence in the
history of the world.
In the evening session the first pa
per was given by Charles III. Horton
on "Christianity in Business Life
The speaker has no fellowship with
the theory that christianity and bust
ness should be divorced, and argued
that christianity needs business men
and that business men need clristiani-
ty; that the church needs business
men because of their wealth, and bust
ness men need the church because
christianity is light that permits &
business man to look into himself
Works and results are what outsiders
want to see in the Christian, and til,
Christian man whose life tells the mos
for his profession is the one who put.
the most christianity into his business
The paper was a very valuable on.
, and was listened to with much interes
by all present. At it's close a brie
practical discussion on the subject wa
: engaged in by Revs. LamsOn, Darling
. Whitney and others, the conclusion o
the whole matter being that the churc
was gradually growing towards more
! practical business methods and that il
the good time coming money would 81
flow into it that its ministers would b.
, paid salary sufficient to live upon with